There are several reasons that ink-jet printing has become a popular way of recording images on various media surfaces, particularly paper. Some of these reasons include low printer noise, capability of high-speed recording, and multi-color recording. Additionally, these advantages can be obtained at a relatively low price to consumers. Though there has been great improvement in ink-jet printing, accompanying this improvement are increased demands by consumers in this area, e.g., higher speeds, higher resolution, full color image formation, increased ink stability, etc.
There are a variety of known methods for fabricating an ink jet recording sheet, or print media having a glossy surface for photographic type printing. One example is directed to a single layer coated paper that uses alumina in the ink-receiving layer. The commercial paper coated with alumina can provide good gloss and absorbing capacity, but it has poor scratch resistance, poor air fading resistance, and can cockle when the paper is wetted. Alternatively, silica particulates have also been used to coat paper. Coatings based on silica pigment often have better porosity, are less hygroscopic, and can have better air and light fading resistance, but tend to have poor gloss and scratch resistance.